At a glance
AQLT charges 0.2% a year, below the 0.25% average of the 8 funds most like it (the 5th cheapest of 9). It has $330.8M in assets, the 9th largest of that group; it paid 0.54% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, semiannual. Its ten largest positions make up 39.0% of the fund, out of 525 in all.
The short version
iShares MSCI Global Quality Factor ETF (AQLT) is a BlackRock index fund that tracks the MSCI ACWI Quality Index. The index holds large and mid-size companies worldwide that score well on return on equity, low debt and steady earnings. Most similar quality funds hold only US stocks. AQLT had about 68% in US stocks as of August 31, 2026, with Taiwan and Switzerland next. Its 0.20% expense ratio is below the 0.25% peer average.
Price history
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AQLT — over the year to Oct 27, 2026, total return with distributions reinvested.
How it has behaved
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | Since start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AQLT price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +3.2% | — | — | — | — | — |
- The deepest fall in its price history was 4.1% (Aug 13, 2026 to Sep 15, 2026), not yet recovered.
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Before this security existed |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Before this security existed |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Before this security existed |
Dividends and income
No distribution history is available for this fund.
Distributions through Oct 27, 2026.What's inside
As of Aug 31, 2026, the fund held 525 securities; the ten largest made up 38.98% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| MICROSOFT CORPORATION | 5.78% | |
| Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited | 5.13% | |
| APPLE INC. | 5.04% | |
| NVIDIA CORPORATION | 4.76% | |
| BROADCOM INC. | 4.29% | |
| META PLATFORMS, INC. | 3.99% | |
| ELI LILLY AND COMPANY | 2.87% | |
| ASML Holding N.V. | 2.48% | |
| ALPHABET INC. Class A | 2.33% | |
| VISA INC. | 2.28% | |
| JOHNSON & JOHNSON | 1.85% | |
| ALPHABET INC. | 1.83% | |
| LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION | 1.38% | |
| MASTERCARD INCORPORATED | 1.34% | |
| APPLIED MATERIALS, INC. | 1.27% |
By country
United States 68.29%Taiwan 7.15%Switzerland 4.05%United Kingdom 3.37%Netherlands 2.95%By asset type
Stocks 99.05%Other 0.46%Preferred stock 0.04%By sector
Sectors of the companies held, for the 65.1% of the fund in companies that have a stock page here; other holdings and cash aren't classified. Source: N-PORT holdings report as of Aug 31, 2026. Cash, money-market funds and derivatives are shown separately from the securities list.What changed recently
- Over the three months to Aug 31, 2026, investors added a net $69.5M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +0.38%, -1.36%, +2.42%.
How it works
AQLT follows the MSCI ACWI Quality Index. MSCI builds it from the MSCI ACWI Index, a broad index of large and mid-size stocks in developed and emerging markets, weighted by company size. MSCI gives each stock a quality score based on three measures. Return on equity is profit compared with shareholders' money. Debt to equity shows how much a company borrows. Earnings variability shows how much profits swing from year to year. The highest-scoring stocks are chosen, up to a set number.
Each stock's weight is its quality score times its weight in the parent index, rescaled to add up to 100%. At each rebalance, which happens twice a year, no company can be more than 5% of the index. Weights can drift above that in between: Microsoft was 5.8% of the fund as of August 31, 2026. To limit trading, a buffer rule gives existing members priority when they rank near the cutoff. The prospectus filed in December 2025 reported 22% portfolio turnover.
BlackRock uses representative sampling. That means it holds a sample of stocks expected to behave like the index, not necessarily every stock in it. At least 80% of assets go into index stocks or close equivalents. Up to 20% can go into futures, options, swaps, cash or other securities. As of August 31, 2026, the fund held two small stock-index futures contracts. It may lend out securities worth up to one-third of its assets.
What it really costs
- AQLT charges 0.2% a year, versus an average of 0.25% for the similar funds below (5th of 9, cheapest first).
- The fee includes a 0.02% waiver from the adviser, which may end.
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $20 in the first year and $272 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AQLT | $20 | $64 | $115 | $272 |
In a retirement portfolio
It spreads money across about 525 large and mid-size companies in many countries at a low cost, though its quality screen leans heavily toward large US technology firms.
AQLT could serve as a worldwide stock holding that leans toward profitable, low-debt companies. Its record is short. The fund launched on December 11, 2024, so it did not exist in the 2008 crisis, the 2020 COVID crash or the 2022 bear market. Its price history starts June 9, 2026. Its deepest drop since then was 4.1%, from August 13 to September 15, 2026, and it had not fully recovered as of October 27, 2026. That says little about how it would hold up in a real bear market. Quality stocks still fall when the market falls. Keeping cash or bonds elsewhere can reduce the need to sell shares at low prices to cover spending.
Income is small: the trailing yield was 0.54% as of October 27, 2026, paid twice a year. In the SEC's standard example, $10,000 would cost $20 in the first year and $272 over 10 years. Past results don't predict future ones, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors who want one fund holding quality stocks around the world, including Taiwan, Switzerland and the UK, rather than a US-only quality fund.
- Long-term holders comfortable with heavy tech exposure: Microsoft, Taiwan Semiconductor, Apple, Nvidia and Broadcom were each over 4% as of August 31, 2026.
- Cost-conscious investors: the 0.20% expense ratio is below the 0.25% average of similar quality funds.
Look elsewhere if
- Investors seeking income: the trailing yield was 0.54% as of October 27, 2026, and dividends come only twice a year.
- Those who want a long track record: the fund launched in December 2024 and has not been through a major bear market.
- Investors focused on the lowest cost or largest size: US-only JQUA (0.12%) and QUAL (0.15%) cost less, and AQLT is the smallest of nine funds compared.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AQLT this fund | — | 0.2% | $330.8M | — | — |
| QUAL iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF | 53% | 0.15% | $46.53B | +14.1% | +19.6% |
| FQAL Fidelity Quality Factor ETF | 47% | 0.16% | $1.41B | +12.6% | +22.8% |
| DGRW WisdomTree US Quality Dividend Growth Fund | 47% | 0.28% | $16.60B | +11.7% | +17.0% |
| QLTY GMO US Quality ETF Shs | 40% | 0.5% | $5.18B | +15.9% | — |
| JQUA JPMorgan U.S. Quality Factor ETF | 37% | 0.12% | $8.22B | +21.6% | +24.2% |
| QDF FlexShares Quality Dividend Index Fund | 36% | 0.37% | $2.22B | +14.3% | +21.6% |
| QGRO American Century U.S. Quality Growth ETF | 30% | 0.29% | $2.09B | +0.3% | +22.4% |
Questions investors ask
What does AQLT invest in?
AQLT holds large and mid-size stocks from around the world that score well on return on equity, debt and earnings stability. As of August 31, 2026, it owned about 525 companies, and its 10 largest positions made up 39% of assets. The biggest were Microsoft (5.8%), Taiwan Semiconductor (5.1%), Apple (5.0%), Nvidia (4.8%) and Broadcom (4.3%). US companies made up about 68% of the fund, and Taiwan was next at about 7%.
What's the difference between AQLT and QUAL?
The main difference is geography. AQLT tracks a global quality index covering developed and emerging markets, with about 68% in US stocks as of August 31, 2026. QUAL, as its name says, focuses on US stocks. About 53% of their holdings overlap. QUAL costs less (0.15% versus 0.20%) and is far larger: $46.5 billion as of July 31, 2026, against AQLT's $330.8 million as of August 31, 2026. QUAL also has a longer record. Its 1-year return was 14.1% as of October 30, 2026.
Does AQLT pay dividends?
Yes, but not much. AQLT pays dividends twice a year. Over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, it paid about $0.17 per share, a trailing yield of 0.54%. The small payout fits its lean toward large technology companies such as Microsoft, Apple and Nvidia. Companies like these tend to pay small dividends compared with their share prices. Investors who need regular income from their stocks would get little from this fund on its own.
What is AQLT's expense ratio?
AQLT's expense ratio is 0.20%, according to its prospectus filed December 19, 2025. That is below the 0.25% average of the similar quality funds it was compared with, and it ranks fifth of nine on cost. The SEC's standard example assumes $10,000 invested, a 5% yearly return and shares sold at the end of each period. In that example, costs would total about $20 after one year, $115 after five years and $272 after ten.
Is AQLT good for retirement?
It may suit retirement savers who want global stocks with a quality tilt, but its record is short. The fund launched in December 2024, and its price history starts June 9, 2026, so it has not been tested in a major bear market. Its income is small, with a 0.54% yield as of October 27, 2026. It also leans on one sector: technology was 29.7% of assets as of August 31, 2026, though sector data covered only about 65% of the fund.